Your study notes this week were written by Will Buschmann, Co-Director of Student Ministries.
Welcome to week fifteen of Desiring the Kingdom and 1st Kings 19. Last week we walked with Elijah through his showdown with the prophets of Baal, which was absolutely wild! This week we pick up directly after that scene and we will find Elijah in a place and state that is quite unexpected.
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
Seeing/Hearing and Not Believing
Observe
In the last chapter of 1 Kings 18 everything happened exactly as Elijah said it would. Fire fell on Elijah’s bull, not the bull of the prophets of Baal. Rain poured down when Elijah told it to, not when a whole nation was crying out for rain. It should have been clearer than ever before to everyone who witnessed all of this that Elijah serves the only true God in Yahweh. It should have been clearer than ever before in King Ahab’s eyes that Elijah is to be trusted and held in high esteem, because he speaks for the one and true living God, Yahweh. That is not the case though as we continue our study in 1 Kings 19:1.
1 Kings 19:1-3
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.
Ahab saw with his own eyes the power of the Lord through Elijah. He saw the fire fall. He saw all of his false prophets of Baal die. The expectation after him seeing all of that would obviously be that he would now believe, but that is not the case. He doesn’t just see, but he returns as an eye witness to what took place. He tells his wife, Jezebel, all that had happened. She hears of the power of the Lord through Elijah first-hand from an eye witness. The expectation after hearing all of that would obviously be that she would now believe, but again that is not the case. We have two people seeing and hearing of the works of God and not believing, not having any change in their life. It is easy to say “Oh that’s just evil Ahab and Jezebel”, but the truth is we all do this. We all at times see the work of the Lord in our lives and we don’t believe, we don’t change. We all at times hear of the work of the Lord and we don’t believe, we don’t change. We read of the work of the Lord in our Bible given to us by eye-witnesses and we don’t believe, we don’t change.
- When was the last time you saw, heard, or read about the Lord working?
What was it? - What was your response to seeing, hearing, or reading about it?
- Did it change anything in your own life?
- What can you do in your own life to recognize the work of the Lord and apply it?
God,
It is easy to miss what you are doing in my life. It is easy to overlook all of the ways you show up day in and day out. Forgive me for missing it and forgive me for not looking for it. Let your Spirit give me eyes to see you daily, to see you moving. I need it and I need you to let me see.
Amen
Day 2
Broken, Depressed, and Alone
Observe
Elijah after waging and winning a titanic struggle with God’s help against the prophets of Baal is broken, depressed, and alone. He is in the exact opposite place you would expect him to be. He is on the run still as a fugitive, but now Jezebel has upped the ante and puts a 24-hour time limit on killing him. To say the least, Elijah’s expectations are certainly not met. What is supposed to be happening in his mind isn’t and all hope has left him. Because of the incongruity of the visible things (Ahab and Jezebel still in power and seeking to kill him) and the invisible things (God still in control of all that is taking place), Elijah wants to die.
1 Kings 19:4-8
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
Psalm 13
13 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Elijah didn’t become superhuman when he became a prophet of God. He is still a human with emotions just like you and I. A broken man living in a broken world that at times makes no sense at all. A man that has expectations and at times those expectations are not met. A man that had hope, but his current predicament has taken all of that away from him. A broken, depressed man sitting under a broom tree.
- What do you think Elijah was feeling under that tree?
- What do you think caused him to be at this place?
- Have you or are you currently struggling like Elijah was under that broom tree? What did you do during that season?
*** Depression, anxiety, and mental health are real and have an effect on our lives. No one should walk through a season of mental health alone. If you find yourself in a season like that now, reach out to someone and allow them to walk with you through it. Sometimes though we need more than just a community around us and we need professional help. That’s real and if you need that we have resources and recommendations of people we trust for you to get the help that you need. Go to riovistachurch.com/wellness for that.
Lord,
Life is difficult. I find myself with unmet expectations and in difficult seasons with different causes. Lord, help me in my distress. Be my provider, be my rock, be my refuge in the darkness. Lord, provide a community in my life to walk with me through this difficult time. Let me get the help I need and give me your presence through it all.
Amen
Day 3
The Care of the Lord
Observe
Today, we look at the same passage as yesterday, but with a different focus. We focused on Elijah and his feelings yesterday, but today we will focus on how the Lord cared for him in this season of his life.
1 Kings 19:4-8
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.
The Lord sees Elijah exactly where he is at and he cares for him. He doesn’t come to Elijah and point out everything that Elijah can’t see. He doesn’t dismiss how Elijah feels by telling him why he shouldn’t feel this way. He doesn’t try to fix Elijah, he just cares for Elijah’s needs. Right then what Elijah needed was sustenance and sleep.
- What do you learn about God from this passage?
- How has the Lord provided for you in a difficult season?
- How is God teaching us to care for those around us who are going through a difficult time?
Lord,
Your care is so sweet to me. You meet me exactly where I am at. You don’t tell me to clean up my act or get better before I come to you. You let me come just as I am into your presence. You provide for me exactly what I need. I praise and thank you for that. Forgive me though that often times you are the last place I turn to in my time of need. Show me your care and concern today as I walk through my day and the things that I will face.
Amen
Day 4
The Unexpected
Observe
God takes Elijah to the place where the Lord previously met with Moses, Horeb aka Mt. Sinai. A place where God covenants with his people to be their God. A place that is known for lightning, fire, and thunder in the Book of Exodus, but this time God does something unexpected to speak with Elijah.
1 Kings 19:9-14
9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”
After caring for Elijah under the broom tree, Elijah travels to Horeb, aka Mt. Sinai, to meet with God. God knows what Elijah needs now. He needs his presence and his guidance on how to carry on. The Lord shows up. He comes not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in the low whisper. God doesn’t always come in a grand way to speak to his children. He often comes in the quiet, in the stillness. Elijah up on a mountain alone didn’t have any distractions to make him miss it, but the truth is in our world we do. We don’t live in a world characterized by quiet and stillness. We rarely if ever stumble into the quiet in our lives. If it is not planned and chased after we probably won’t find it. And with that we might miss the word of the Lord in our lives.
- What do you learn about God in this passage?
- Currently in your life do you have defined times of quiet and stillness with God?
- What needs to be rearranged in your life in order to have that?
Lord,
Let me hear from you today. I need your presence and guidance in my life just like Elijah did. I want to hear from you. Teach my heart to love the quiet, to love the stillness, to love meeting with you in your presence. Give me the strength to block out all the noise and information that are constantly my barriers to hearing from you. Reorder my habits today to better hear from you.
Amen
Day 5
Elijah Thought Wrong
Observe
God continues caring for Elijah and tells him what he is to do next.
1 Kings 19:15-18
15 And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
God shows Elijah that he is still in control. God invites him into his plan and tells Elijah what he is to do next. God tells Elijah through his instructions that he is in control not just of who rules over Israel, but also who rules over the surrounding nations. Elijah also believed that he was the only one left, but what does God show him here? He shows him that he is not alone in this battle against Ahab and Jezebel, not only is God with him, but there’s seven thousand in Israel who have not bowed down to Baal in worship. Not just that either, he tells him that he will raise another prophet, Elisha, to walk alongside him in this time and eventually take over for him. He is reminding Elijah just because he can’t see the plan with his eyes in certain moments doesn’t mean there is not one. Again, as we have seen through all of 1 Kings so far is that no matter what the earthly reality looks like from our perspective that God is working and is in control of all things. He can be trusted even when it is difficult to believe.
- Where in your life is it difficult to see the Lord working right now?
- How can you remind yourself today that the Lord is working even when you can’t see it or feel it?
- How can you be that reminder in someone else’s life today? Who do you know that is going through something difficult that you can remind today that the Lord is in control and can be trusted?
Lord,
Oftentimes my earthly circumstances make it hard to see you. Oftentimes I am so blinded by my situation in life that I forget that you are still God and you are in control. God, give me faith and trust in you that is greater than any circumstance I could face on this earth. Give me your Spirit to be able to look at these earthly matters and no that no matter what you are in control and you are working them for good for those who love you.
Amen